All barbecue all the time – 8 Columbia restaurants we tried

We love eating here at Go Columbia, and there are few things more satisfying in this world than getting to stuff your face on company time.

With that in mind, we decided to do a food crawl for this week’s issue. And we liked it so much, we might just keep doing it.

For our first crawl, we settled on barbecue, because Columbia has a bevy of top-notch ’cues to choose from. To get to the eight local barbecue joints we selected and still make our deadline, we ate nothing but barbecue for lunch and dinner for four(ish) days –impressive feat of gastrointestinal might, we don’t mind saying. We’ve included some of our staffers’ comments, too.

Rules of The Crawl

▪ One to three people should be at each meal.

▪ Everyone has to give at least one comment on what they ate.

▪ No huge national chains allowed.

▪ Have fun, and don’t count calories.

Let’s start with lunch Thursday, at Palmetto Pig, 530 Devine St., www.palmettopig.com.

THE SCENE: Buffet style with pulled pork, fried chicken, rice and hash, green beans, mac and cheese, potato salad, pickles, cole slaw, baked beans, , banana pudding, slices of white bread and fried pork skins. Individual tables and family-style seating in the middle of the restaurant, USC memorabilia on the walls.

THE FOOD: Barbecue pork is seasoned well during the cooking process, so it doesn’t really need a sauce; hash a bit on the sweet, tomato side, almost a sauce rather than a traditional meaty hash.

QUOTABLE: “I was raised in eastern North Carolina and on ENC barbecue, which is a whole hog cooked over wood with a vinegar brine. Palmetto Pig was the first place I ate mustard-based barbecue that I actually enjoyed. It’s smoky and tasty, and the sauce accents but doesn’t overwhelm the meat.” – Jane Dail

For Thursday dinner, it was War Mouth, 1209 Franklin St., www.thewarmouth.com/menu.

THE SCENE: This newly opened eatery has a cool vibe, like you’re a hipster who knows what’s up before everyone else.

THE FOOD: Although the smoker had not yet arrived for proper barbecue, War Mouth serves up great pulled pork with sides of collards and buttered Congaree Milling Co. grits, chicken bog that rivals any family recipe, and a tasty vegetable purloo (grilled cauliflower and other vegetables with a slightly Asian flavor profile atop Carolina Gold rice).

QUOTABLE: “The food was delicious, I got to sample an unfamiliar craft beer before making a selection, and there was a communal table great for our small group of three and for meeting new friends.” – Susan Ardis

For Friday lunch, it was True BBQ, 1237 D Ave., West Columbia, www.true-bbq.com.

THE SCENE: The smoker is right in front of the restaurant. On our visit, it was filled with split chickens. It’s a small place with lots of piggy art on the shelves and walls.

THE FOOD: Good ’cue. True had the best chopped barbecue of those we sampled. The meat on the short ribs fell off the bone and the mac and cheese was delicious.

QUOTABLE: Get the Sexy Lady sauce. It’s better than the Pretty Lady sauce and, you know, sexier. Also, take the long way back to work to give yourself extra digesting time. You’ll need it.” – Erin Shaw

For Friday dinner, it was on to Southern Belly, 819 Harden St., www.southernbellybbq.com.

THE SCENE: More convenient than the Rosewood location to university students who frequent Five Points area, open for lunch and dinner.

THE FOOD: Same menu as the Rosewood location. Great selection of sandwich and sauce combinations. We picked the D’Jango with roasted red peppers and onions and jalapenos.

QUOTABLE: "The place was beginning to fill up as I was finishing my dinner, as Five Points runs a little later than other areas. A nice place to people watch.” – Susan Ardis

For Tuesday lunch, it was on to Chewy’s, 3424 Two Notch Road, chewysbbqandgrill.com.

THE SCENE: Walk-up and take-away only, no indoor seating. You could, I suppose, picnic in your car.

THE FOOD: They offer beef and pork barbecue, as well as chicken and grilled and fried turkey wings. Want something other than barbecue? Chewy’s has fried shrimp and whiting fish and burgers. Worth a return trip for oxtail dinner (Saturdays only).

QUOTABLE: “The hash was good and plentiful and the meat itself was tasty despite being on the mushy side. The green beans seemed to have been in a casserole, which elevated them beyond standard vegetables.” – Ben Breiner

AND THERE WAS THIS ... The woman behind the counter said they used oversized containers for sides of hush puppies and onion rings because, “we had salads on the menu, but they weren’t doing much for us, so we’re using (the containers) to get rid of them.”

For Tuesday dinner, it was Jake’s in Five Points, 2112 Devine St., jakesofcolumbia.com.

THE SCENE: Dog gone it! Forgot Tuesdays and Thursdays were Yappy Hour nights. Navigating from the table to the bar to place food and drink orders is interesting when you have to dodge a dozen dogs.

THE FOOD: Will Lacey of Yellow Dog Barbecue has added some items to Jake’s menu, so you can get burnt end brisket sandwiches, pulled pork, chicken and more. The burnt end sandwich came with coleslaw and, since I needed something green, the house salad. For the most part, the brisket was delicious, just a couple of fatty bites in the middle of my sandwich.

QUOTABLE: “The food was good, and the portions were generous enough to share with all those beggars with the puppy-dog eyes, if you were in the giving mood, which I was not.” – Sarah Ellis

OH, AND THIS: “I was getting tired of barbecue at this point. If I eat anymore barbecue I’m afraid my yoga pants won't fit anymore.” – Erin Shaw

Wednesday lunch, we go for Big T’s, 7535 Garners Ferry Road, www.facebook.com/Big-Ts-BBQ-238454016551/timeline.

THE SCENE: The restaurant is in an old strip mall. Inside, there’s lots of sports and visiting chef memorabilia. Walk up to the counter and place your order.

THE FOOD: Pulled pork, hash and rice, and ribs are Big T’s specialties, but they also have some of the best fried fish in town. The ribs (about a half-rack per serving) were tender and perfectly smoked. The mac and cheese was creamy and cheesy.

QUOTABLE: “I like food with a kick, so I ordered the spicy mustard-based barbecue sauce. It was tasty but not for the faint of heart. They have a milder option if you can’t hang. The barbecue itself is seasoned well and yummy. And now I’m taking a break from barbecue for a while.” – Jane Dail

Finally, Thursday lunch, at Midwood Smokehouse BBQ & Bar, 702 Crosshill Road, Suite D, midwoodsmokehouse.com.

THE SCENE: Hipster nostalgic vibe. Nice bar along the right side of the space, where you can grab your to-go orders; covered outdoor seating in front.

THE FOOD: This was a grab-and-go day, so it was a Corkscrew Special (brisket on a toasted bun with creamy tomato salsa and “a dash of hot sauce”), with roasted vegetables as the side (red and green peppers, onion, mushrooms). Also picked up a rack of St. Louis style pork ribs with hushpuppies and bacon-wrapped jalapenos.

QUOTABLE: “The sandwich was yummy; the brisket was tender and topped with just the right amount of drippy sauce. The ribs (check out our cover photo) were smoked perfectly. There’s a combo platter for those who can’t decide what to order. Roasted vegetables are a perfect side dish choice, as are bacon-wrapped jalapenos if you want something spicy.” – Susan Ardis

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 4:18 PM with the headline "All barbecue all the time – 8 Columbia restaurants we tried."